Speech-Language Milestones 
18-23 months:
- Follows simple commands without gestures.
- Points to simple body parts such as “nose”.
- Understands simple verbs such as “eat" and “sleep”.
- Correctly pronounces most vowels and the consonants n,m,p,h, especially at the beginning of syllables and short words.
- Begins to use other speech sounds.
- Says eight to 10 words (pronunciation may still be unclear).
- Asks for common foods by name.
- Uses pronouns such as “mine”.
2-3 years:
- Knows about 50 words at 24 months.
- Knows some spatial concepts such as “in”.
- Knows descriptive words such as “big” and “happy”.
- Says about 40 words at 24 months.
- Answers simple questions.
- Speaks in two-to three-word phrases.
- Uses questions inflection to ask for something.
- Begins to use plurals such as “shoes” or “socks” and past-tense verbs such as “jumped”.
3-4 years:
- Groups objects such as foods and clothes.
- Identifies colors.
- Uses most speech sounds but may distort some of the more difficult sounds such as l, r, s, sh, ch, y, v, z, th (these sounds may not be mastered until age 7 or 8).
- Describes the use of objects such as “fork” or “car”.
- Enjoys poems and recognize language absurdities such as “is that an elephant on your head?”
- Expresses ideas and feelings.
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